Taxonomic and nomenclatural changes in Cassidinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
Author
Sekerka, Lukáš
text
Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae
2016
2016-07-15
56
1
275
344
journal article
56063
10.5281/zenodo.5305725
31cb15bf-28f5-4b27-86df-6a1b28cbce41
0374-1036
5305725
E24F1028-C6AC-4323-9ED5-C9B7FF3434ACD
Agenysa
Spaeth, 1905
Agenysa
Spaeth, 1905: 90
(original description).
Type species.
Cassida caedemadens
Lichtenstein, 1796
, by original designation.
Remarks.
The genus was revised by
VIANA (1968)
who also proposed a key to species, using primarily colouration as a diagnostic character for each species. Unfortunately, almost all species of
Agenysa
display a wide array of colour variants. In addition many structural characters, such as the convexity of elytra, height and density of the reticulation on elytra, and the intensity of punctation, depends on size of the actual specimen which is also very variable within a single species. As a result reliable identification of species is very difficult and individual forms are rather separated geographically. Studies using molecular data would reliably define and separate species in this genus.
Nevertheless, I have found three taxa, which were previously placed in
Stolas
Billberg, 1820
but in fact belong to
Agenysa
. The necessity to attribute them to presently existing species led me to study additional material and
types
of other species as well. I propose a tentative key to species of
Agenysa
, that however, cannot be understood as definitive as my conclusions are based entirely on dried museum specimens, and I do not intend to provide a complex revision of the genus here as it deserves a separate project. Particularly difficult is the group of species with red reticulation on explanate margin of elytra and I am unable to reliably attribute some isolated populations to the described species.